# IMPORTANT: Roleplaying Forum Guidelines



## surskitty

*Vocabulary*
_Dungeon Master (DM)_ - whoever is in charge of the roleplay, typically the thread creator.  You _can_ have multiple DMs, but it's not that likely.  Some threads are run predominantly by consensus: however, the thread creator can still seize control if they so desire.
_Mary Sue_ - This.  Even more irritating in roleplay than fanfic!


*Common Things to Not Do*
*Character Control*
- Ignoring DM-driven roleplays (I'll get to them in a moment), the only person who can decide what happens to your character is you.  Character control is when someone is insisting that things go the way they want them to without the player's input.
- Do note that while non-player-characters are frequently allowed to be played by anyone, plot-important NPCs should be left to whoever is running the show.
- If your character has abilities relating to other people, do confer with the other player before doing anything.  If you play a telepath, ask them what your character would know of their thoughts.

*Godmoding*
- Godmoding is when a character is ridiculously overpowered beyond where said character _should_ be.  Do not give your character new abilities on the fly; do not refuse to take a hit ever.  If a nuke went off right next to your character, your character _would not be able to dodge it_ without teleportation or something.

*Railroading*
- ... is when the plot of a roleplay veers far off from where the DM intended.  If the DM happens to be a good one, then it will probably be possible to get it back on-track somehow, or at least find an alternate plotline.  However, for the most part, people are going to have trouble with that.  As such, try _not_ to kill off plot-important NPCs.
- Don't kill Gandalf.
- In the event that you like posting a lot and everyone else has not responded in the past five minutes, please refrain from posting repeatedly with one of your friends.  It's rude.

*Remember the IC/OOC Barrier*
- What you know, your character does not necessarily know.  Even though you know there's a magical mystical bazooka in the possession of a cow at the end of the dungeon, your character _does not necessarily know this and should not act on it._
- Things done to your character are likely not directed at you.  If my character kicks yours in the face, it does not mean that I want to kick you in the face.
- Just because you dislike someone does not mean your character dislikes theirs.  If you are interested in kicking someone in the face, please do not have your character kick theirs simply because of that.

*On Running Roleplays*
- It is on you to deal with anyone being particularly dumb about roleplaying etiquette.  Remember that you can kick people out if you so desire, and if someone refuses to listen after being reprimanded, then _feel free to hit the report button and complain_.  However, it is not that likely that any given moderator will check your thread and help you run it.  It is _your sandbox_.
- Just because you run your roleplay does not mean that it's okay to completely ignore things.  Repeated failures to do a mediocre job (at least) of running a roleplay may mean that you get asked to _stop starting new ones._
- If a couple of the recent RPs are run entirely by you, then you might not want to make more.  Please don't flood the board.  If there's no interest in a given RP, it might not be because people do not like the premise: it can easily be because people don't like _you_.
- Do remember that nothing is forcing you to play in a particular sandbox.  However, do not completely ignore someone in a thread just because you don't like them.
- Have an expectation for writing quality in mind.  You might want to convey to people just what type of writing you're expecting.

*The Really Freaking Obvious*
- Okay, so you might be a really awful roleplayer and writer in general.  That's completely okay!  Everyone sucked at some point or another and you're probably going to improve at least a bit _eventually_.  HOWEVER!  Do everyone a favour and at least _try_ not to suck.  Decent spelling and grammar is _expected_.  Understanding how to punctuate your sentences at least mostly correctly is _expected_ and you should DO THIS.  No, really!  People are more likely to not get pissed off at you if your writing sucks but you're obviously trying to put some effort into it.  People do not tend to want to play with people whose playing styles really irritate them, but the difference in leeway between "Foo jumped up and down, then used Bar.  'I hate everything,' Foo said." and "foo jumped up and down then used bar.  i hate everything foo said" is _huge_.
- Anything in this section should not need to be stated but I am stating it anyway because apparently some people _do not get it_.


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## Akesh the Devourer

Correction:  Railroading is what happens when a DM _insists_ that a roleplay must go a certain way.  Rather than exploring an unplanned storyline, the DM simply forces the characters to follow the script with badly-concealed plot devices.  Such plot devices are delivered in a way that usually crushes all possibility of the characters resisting the plot.


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## Icalasari

Would I be allowed to double post in my rp, so that I can get it started, as the first rp post has yet to be made?

*Figures this would be the best place to ask*


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## surskitty

Yes.


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## surskitty

Added some things that are _really fucking obvious_.  Some people apparently need to hear it, though.


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## cillian_murphy_fangirl

Yes, finally a website where people are expected to know how to type for roleplaying.
XD
I belonged to a really, really, crappy website called Neopets.
It was sad that people could hardly type, and they claimed to be thirteen or older.
XD
Some of them used the excuse of being twelve.
But even _I_ know that a twelve year old is capable of typing correctly.​


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## Shadowstar

Question...

If an RPG that you made died, and it was moderately popular... Can you repost it? Because I have this dead RPG that was a hot topic, and I think some of the members that were in it would like to see it back.=/


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## surskitty

You could, I guess, but it'd be cleaner to just go bump it or something.  If it's actually getting rez'd rather than necromanced, then I don't think anyone would mind.


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## Shadowstar

It's not on the list of topics, so I'll re-post it...


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## surskitty

I meant more of "if it is just going to die again immediately, then don't bother."


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## Shadowstar

It won't, I promise.(it had 106 or something replies last time.=O Pretty sucsessful...)


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## OrangeAipom

cillian_murphy_fangirl said:


> Yes, finally a website where people are expected to know how to type for roleplaying.
> XD
> I belonged to a really, really, crappy website called Neopets.
> It was sad that people could hardly type, and they claimed to be thirteen or older.
> XD
> Some of them used the excuse of being twelve.
> But even _I_ know that a twelve year old is capable of typing correctly.​


Neopets moves really fast, so maybe they can't type fast enough to be correct.


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## surskitty

No, they're just stupid.


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## Lucas₇₅₅

Are there any rules for what happens if the DM is absent for more than a month or so?


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## surskitty

Not really, but it's rude to either try taking the plot in your own direction or for the DM to just get up and leave.  :/

Sort it out amongst yourselves, I guess.


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## Super Sugar

So, you're allowed to make more than one RP, right? As long as you're not overflowing the whole place. I already made one, and I had another idea and just wanted to make sure having more than one RP was okay. :sweatdrop:


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## Solstice

Having more than one RP is fine, as long as you're sure you can handle it.


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## Super Sugar

Explosion said:


> Having more than one RP is fine, as long as you're sure you can handle it.


Alright. Thanks! I'm kinda new here, so I don't know all of the rules yet. :sad:


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## JinxElite

Lovely! A forum where people are expected to RP, if not well, than with good grammar and spelling. Just thought I'd ask a quick question here:
Can more than one person be in charge of an RP officially, or is it and unofficial thing?


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## Monoking

I believe it's usually only one, although a roleplay managed by multiple people could work.


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## Coloursfall

JinxElite said:


> Lovely! A forum where people are expected to RP, if not well, than with good grammar and spelling. Just thought I'd ask a quick question here:
> Can more than one person be in charge of an RP officially, or is it and unofficial thing?


Yeah it happens a lot actually.


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## CJBlazer

Umm, quick question. What does OCC mean and where do I find this OCC forum?


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## surskitty

Out of Character; it's the Lounge thing.


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## Draaklug

Quick question: I have an idea for a neat RP, however, I'm not active enough and haven't developed any characters enough to actually RP. (The only developed characters I have would reveal my secret identity) Is it fine to post a topic with a plotline and such, but where the DM just kinda watches?


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